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Sunday, August 17, 2014

On Coffee and Roses I like to bring you news of exciting authors who are either waiting to be published or published and worth checking out.

This week, I have great pleasure in welcoming the fantastic author, poet and performer DAN HOLLOWAY into the Coffee and Roses Writer Spotlight...

When did you first decide that you wanted to write?

I don't know that I ever decided to be a writer. It was one of those things that always seemed to be taken for granted. My parents bought me an old wooden school desk as my third birthday and I'd sit at it late into the night scribbling nonsense, And when I was six my mum told me one evening that a gypsy had stopped her in the street, telling her that she had a son and he would grow up to make his fortune with pen and ink. I still haven't made my fortune!

What interests you as a writer?

I am fascinated by outsiders: people who find it hard to define themselves by terms that society understands and go about life by their own rules. It's a way of exploring all the things I wish I could be if only I had the courage.

Do you have a typical writing day? If not, when is the best time to write for you?

Absolutely not. My very best writing time is as early as it gets in the morning - I've always been a lark. By the time it gets to 8 o'clock or so, I've pretty much had it for the day. That said, I do love sitting outside on a busy pavement, leaning against a wall with a coffee on a sunny day, tapping away while the world goes by.

Which authors inspire you and why?

So many - I hate when those Facebook "10 writers who've left their mark on you" memes go round - how could I keep it down to 10? So how do I answer this in a sensible length? OK - Haruki Murakami has perfected the art of using the fantastical to represent a deep truth; Thomas Harris never uses a spare word; Elfriede Jelinek gets deeper inside relationships than you could imagine; Milan Kundera makes me see the world in different ways; Katelan Foisy breaks my heart; Adelle Stripe and Banana Yoshimoto make the everyday lyrical and beautiful.

Tell me about your latest book.

No Exit, released in May, is a big departure from my recent literary novels and poetry collections. It's a novelette, part of the Singles collection from the amazing Pankhearst group who publish the darkest Fem Noir. It's going to be the start of what I hope will be a long-running series about Petrichor, a group of outsiders who inhabit the doorways and rooftops and tunnels of Oxford - not to mention the corner of cyberspace. In No Exit, two women who have never met and know nothing about each other are about to commit a murder together, and we go back in time to discover what brought them to this point.

What are the best things about being a writer?

The thought that, one day, you might make a difference, even if only to one person; that one night someone might be alone and at the end of the line and your words might be the hand held out that brings them back from the edge.

And the worst?

Never quite being able to write the things you want to. So many people say they never self-censor. By and large they are people with very vanilla imaginations. Readers still find it too hard to separate the author as person from the things they write, so there inevitably comes a time when you pull a punch, and that hits you right in the gut because you know you are letting your readers down. It's something I battle with every book. No Exit is the darkest thing I've written. It goes places a lot of people never go but there are still things left unsaid, emotions I haven't let the characters explore.

What are you working on now?

Crush is the second Petrichor book. It centres on Keph, whose middle class comfortable life is turned on its head when she finds herself on the wrong bus home, witnesses a horrific act of cruelty and flips, battering the two teenage boys responsible to death, having just seconds to make a decision that will change her life - to run.

Do you have a dream project you would love to write?

I'm as much a performance poet as a prose writer - I've been taking shows to festivals and fringes for five years now, and have worked with some amazing people. I think my dream would be to put on a show with Patti Smith and Amanda Palmer.

What are your top three tips for aspiring writers?

I've just written a book, Self-Publish With Integrity, that aims to guide writers through the labyrinth of choices that face them. The real question I try to get them to answer is a simple one – know exactly what they want from their writing, in ultra-specific terms. That's the only way to be sure you don't get sidetracked.

More specifically writing-y advice – know exactly what the writers you admire do. And then do something different.

And devote ten times longer than you think you need to learning to write dialogue.

Anything else you’d like to say?

Go to a live literary night. Perform your work there. And, of course, thank you!

Thanks to Dan for a cracking interview! You can find out more about Dan and his books at his website and follow him on Twitter @agnieszkasshoes. Also check out his fantastic novel, Songs from the Other Side of the Wall.

Friday, August 1, 2014

On Coffee and Roses I like to bring you news of exciting authors who are either waiting to be published or published and worth checking out.

This week, I have great pleasure in welcoming the very wonderful JESSICA THOMPSON into the Coffee and Roses Writer Spotlight...

When did you first decide that you wanted to write?

I don't remember making a specific decision... I loved books as a child and wrote a lot in my spare time. My dad and I used to make up a lot of silly rhymes in the car on long journeys, and so I grew to love the magic and playfulness of language quite early on. I wrote a lot of poems and stories in my teens as a way to express all that angst! I knew when I was about 14 that I wanted to write for a career so I eventually pursued journalism while writing creatively in my spare time. My first novel, This is a Love Story, was written while I was a reporter based in London.

What interests you as a writer?

I love novels that revolve around characters that express ideas and concepts I can relate to in some way. I don't always need (or want) a big, complex plot, or even a happy ending, but anything that takes an interesting view on life's events and really touches me will always capture my attention. I'm no book snob. I read everything, from old classics to contemporary fiction. I love it all!

Do you have a typical writing day? If not, when is the best time to write for you?

I like to write in blocks of several hours. I don't like writing for half an hour, or an hour here or there because I always get wrapped up in what I'm doing and don't want to tear myself away! I'm useless in the mornings so afternoons and evenings are better for me. I like to lose myself in the writing process, so I can't have the washing up waiting to be done or anything like that, I like to be able to focus entirely on what I am doing.

Which authors inspire you and why?

Jojo Moyes because her characterization is perfect, and I've loved every book of hers I've ever read. Lionel Shriver because she wrote We Need to Talk About Kevin so powerfully that I had to stop reading it at one point because I was so freaked out! I think an author who makes you feel something so strongly has a very special talent indeed. I also adore Jeanette Winterson – Why be Happy When You Could Be Normal made me cry several times, it was stunning. I could list many more, but those are some standout examples for me.

Tell me about your latest book.

My third novel, Paper Swans, is out now. It's about a subject very close to my heart that affects so many people, and I think I had to write this book. I'm so excited for it to come out, but the usual nerves are kicking in as well!

What are the best things about being a writer?

I think it's that wonderful feeling when you have worked on your plot for a while, and then you can finally start to write it. It's such an exciting time, and when the characters start to come to life in my mind there really is no better feeling! Hearing from readers always makes my day too. I feel so privileged that these people have not only read my books, but also took the time to let me know what they thought... That's wonderful for me.

And the worst?

I think moments, or sometimes even prolonged periods of self-doubt are the worst. I always tend to feel a bit worried about whether or not I even like a book I've written while I'm editing it! This is because I am so caught up in it that I can't see the wood for the trees. Usually some time away from the script enables me to look at my work from a better perspective, and feel confident and excited again. It can be a bit of a mindset that you have to work hard to get out of, but it can be overcome.

What are you working on now?

I am about to start writing Book Four. I'm just refining the last few plot details and then I can start. I am ridiculously excited!

Do you have a dream project you would love to write?

Hmm... There isn't anything specific in terms of a plot that I consider to be a 'dream plot' that I'm aching to write. I do think that it's good to see each up and coming book you are working on as the 'dream project' though. You need to be positive and confident when you start, and know you can achieve what you set out to do and I think that's a good sentiment when writing a book. If you don't feel very passionate about it, then maybe the plot isn't the right one for you to be writing at this stage.

What are your top three tips for aspiring writers?

1) Read, read, read! In my opinion it's vital to read the work of other writers as much as you can, and try not to stick to one genre or period. Be open minded, and take inspiration from everything you can... Creativity is everywhere.

2) But be careful when you are writing your own book... I tend to read a lot when I am editing or having some time out from writing, however I find it difficult to read other people's work when I am drafting my own. It's good to make sure you are being true to your style, and keeping your head as clutter-free as possible. I know this won't be the case for everyone, but it's definitely best for me!

3) Don't panic. If you are struggling with a plot, a particular chapter or even a sentence, the worst thing to do is panic. Be kind to yourself, and give yourself the space and time you need to work out the problem and deal with it in the best way possible.

Anything else you’d like to say?

Thank you so much for your support, and thank you for having me!

Thank you so much to Jessica for braving the Coffee and Roses Writer Spotlight!

Paper Swans is a fantastic novel - warm-hearted, funny and poignant, with two lead characters you can't help but fall in love with. It will leave you with a huge smile and a firm belief in the power of love. I loved the book!

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About Me

I'm an eternal optimist and a hopeless romantic - which can sometimes be a bad combination! I love life and like finding humour in everything (I am a typical ironic Brit, after all!)
I love writing - I've written songs for the past 15 years and have recently launched my debut album, About Time - hear my music on www.mirandadickinson.com.
I am the author of three Sunday Times bestselling novels published by Avon/HarperCollins - Fairytale of New York (2009), Welcome to My World (2010) and It Started With a Kiss (2011), and my fourth novel When I Fall in Love will be published this year.
Travels with my Teapot (or Tea Ladies, Arise!) is currently in development - www.nobodysuspectsatealady.blogspot.co.uk is the place to discover all the characters and gain exclusive extracts from the novel. Enjoy with a cup of something comforting! xx